Best Hikes in Badlands National Park (Includes Easy Trails)

With its striking rock formations and sprawling prairies, Badlands National Park presents a remarkable playground for adventurers and nature enthusiasts alike. While it is great to drive through the Badlands, you can only get really up close to the remarkable landscape on foot. Here are the best hikes in Badlands National Park.

The park offers many hiking trails that cater to all levels of experience and interests. Truly.

Whether you’re seeking a nice stroll or desire to take on a bit of a challenge, Badlands National Park has it all. In this article, I’ll give you all the best trail options that showcase the best of Badlands National Park.

Whether you’re a seasoned hiker seeking a new adventure or a beginner this list will help you make the most of your Badlands National Park itinerary. And believe me, some of these trails are VERY easy to handle. I’d even venture to call them more walks than hikes.

But don’t worry. They’re not all easy. Badlands National Park is absolutely one of the coolest national parks I’ve ever visited. I think it’s one that really needs to be seen in person to understand what all the fuss is about.

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Best Badlands hikes

While you can see a lot of Badlands by driving the Badlands Loop Road and enjoying the scenic overlooks, my opinion is that you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore what you can on foot.

The best way to do this of course is through hiking. And while Badlands National Park does have an open hike policy, which means they allow off-trail hiking, I’m only going to discuss official, designated trails in this article.

Three of the hikes discussed below (Notch, Window, and Door) all start from the same parking lot between the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and the Northeast Entrance to the park.

The Notch and Window trailheads are “next door” to each other. Door Trail starts from the other end of the quite large parking lot.

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If you only have time for one hike at the Badlands (and you feel like you can manage it), it should be Notch. No question.

This trail offers a fun mix of rugged terrain, great views, and a climb up a log ladder!

I’m going to give you a disclaimer up front. I am generally afraid of heights and do not like ladders, but I was determined to give Notch Trail a try.

And even though I found it personally challenging, I was never once worried for my safety and didn’t find the ladder as scary as I expected to. I’d do this hike again in a heartbeat. Take your time and step carefully, and you’ll be fine.

Having said all this, there is nothing wrong with turning back if you feel like you need to. And never let anyone bully you into undertaking a hike that you do not feel safe doing.

At the end of your hike, you’ll enjoy a nice view as you reach the trail’s highlight: the “Notch,” a natural opening in the Badlands wall that offers a view of the surrounding badlands.

But as great as the view was, if you do the hike for the view, you might be disappointed. In my opinion, the point of doing Notch is the hike itself.

For more details and a lot more photos of what to expect on the hike, see my article all about Notch Trail.

Take a little time to enjoy the view before your easy stroll back to the parking area.

Door Trail starts from the opposite end of the same parking lot that serves the Notch and Window trailheads. Door is kind of a “choose your own adventure” type of situation.

If you want, you can just walk the easy first boardwalk portion and take in the view. But if you want to you can venture beyond the boardwalk area.

I was tired enough after our Notch trail that I seriously did not want to climb up and down any more Badlands rocks. I only wandered a little way from the end of the boardwalk to get out among the rock formations.

Yellow markers map out the rest of the “trail” for hikers, but the boardwalk marks the end of the maintained portion of Door. Venturing beyond that is basically at your own risk.

This lovely and unexpected loop trail will take you into the park’s unexpected juniper forest. This was my second favorite hike of the day after Notch. The change in elevation (approx. 200 feet) made the hike a little more challenging than I was expecting.

And I loved the surprising juniper forest springing up out of some of the landscapes where you would think that you would be the least likely to see such a thing.

This boardwalk loop “hike” is quite easy and fully accessible. You can learn more about fossils from the displays along the way. This is the trail I would recommend skipping if you’re short on time. Those with very young children might prefer this trail as family.

Other Badlands hikes to explore

While most of the above trails are must-see highlights, don’t limit yourself to just those, especially if you plan to spend more than one day in the park…or if you’re a more experienced hiker.

Here are a few more official hikes in Badlands National Park that you might enjoy.

This short trail will lead you up a steep climb at the Badlands Wall to a captivating overlook of the White River Valley below.

Saddle Pass Trail ends with its intersection with the Castle and Medicine Root Loop Trails. From here you can venture back down Saddle Pass or continue on to explore Castle and Medicine Root.

Castle Trail is by far the longest trail at Badlands National Park. Its trailhead is at the Door/Window parking lot and winds its way through grassy areas and around rock formations all the way to the Fossil Exhibit Trail.

It’s important to watch for rattlesnakes any time you’re in any grassy areas at Badlands National Park. And keep your eyes out for other wildlife. You might even see some bighorn sheep!

This moderate trail takes hikers through prairie and is connected with Castle Trail and Saddle Pass at one end. At the other end, it connects with Castle toward the end of that trail nearest the Door/Window parking area.

Badlands National Park hiking tips

While hiking in Badlands National Park is great fun, there are definitely some things to keep in mind before you take off on your adventure.

Keep in mind that there are several easy hikes in Badlands National Park, but they’re not all easy. I strongly recommend that you not undertake any hike that is longer or more strenuous than you think you can handle.

Take it from me, it’s really not fun to be halfway through a hike and run completely out of energy only to find you didn’t bring enough food with you because you thought the hike would be an easy stroll, but it turned out to be a lot more challenging.

It’s best to know what you’re getting yourself into as much as possible. And there’s no harm in being over-prepared to get out on the trail.

That could mean more clothes than you think you’ll need, more water, more food, etc. Just because you see people out on a trail without proper gear doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.

Okay, enough preaching for now. Here are a few tips for hiking in Badlands National Park. 

1. Remember to take plenty of water with you. The National Park Service recommends each hiker take one liter per two hours of hiking. That’s a baseline suggestion. The difficulty of the hike and the weather might require more. Use good judgment.

2. Leave no trace. That means no taking things from the park, no disrupting the wildlife, no stepping on plant life, and always throwing away your trash in the appropriate receptacle or packing it out with you.

3. Inform others of your hiking plans especially if you are planning to hike off trail and/or heading off into the backcountry.

4. Be aware of your surroundings. There is wildlife (including rattlesnakes!) in Badlands National Park.

5. Wear sturdy footwear. The terrain can be rugged, so opt for comfortable hiking shoes or boots that provide good traction. This is most important for Saddle Pass and Notch trails.

6. Check the weather forecast before your trip and come prepared with appropriate clothing and gear. The Badlands can experience extreme temperature fluctuations and sudden weather changes.

How long should I spend at Badlands National Park?

You’ll need at least one full day to see the best of Badlands National Park.

With one day at Badlands National Park, you can see the Roberts Prairie Dog town, explore the scenery along the Badlands Loop Road, stop in at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, and take on some of the shorter trails, including Notch (more on that below!)

If you are interested in exploring some of the longer hikes at the Badlands, I’d recommend you add a second day in the park.

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How to get around Badlands National Park

When you arrive at the entrance to the park, the ranger at the entrance station will offer you a park map.

Always take any information the park offers you. I’m being serious here. The maps are always really helpful.